1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to product dispensing equipment and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to methods and an apparatus for a sanitizable mixing nozzle in a product dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the product dispensing industry, it is often desirable to dehydrate products to reduce transport costs. Food product manufacturers routinely prepare high concentration products that may be reconstituted on demand through the use of a product dispenser. However, the multitude of products and product varieties available from today's food manufacturers creates issues with both the product and the product dispensers.
On the product side of the problem, the multitude of product varieties requires multiple solutions, because products, dependent upon their consistency, act differently when being reconstituted. In particular, thick products or products having low quantities of water go from flowable to almost stagnant during the dehydration process, and, therefore, the dehydrated product must be acted upon to move the product. Still further, usage temperatures, storage temperatures, and the like, provide further variability between the products.
On the product dispenser side of the problem, products with limited life or having spoilage issues often require refrigeration, thereby creating interface issues between the refrigerated compartment and the ambient environment. Often, an easily reconstituted product package including a tube is placed into a storage chamber, the tube is engaged by a pumping device disposed within the confines of the product dispenser, and product from the product package is delivered to a mixing nozzle that protrudes from the product dispenser to deliver a reconstituted product.
Problems arise when the product package provides enough product for extended use. Illustratively, a product package including enough product for a hundred reconstituted drinks may remain in the product dispenser for days because of low usage resulting in spoilage of the product. Moreover, the problem is compounded when the mixing nozzle retains reconstituted product for extended periods. This exposes the reconstituted product to the ambient environment, thereby providing bacteria disposed on the mixing nozzle ample time to multiply.
An attempt to rectify this problem includes product packages formed with a disposable mixing nozzle. Unfortunately, the increased component cost associated with the distribution of product packages including disposable mixing nozzle makes such distribution less than desirable. Moreover, while disposable mixing nozzles are supposed to eliminate clean up, this is often not the case, and the disposable mixing nozzles must be cleaned anyway, which is problematic as disposable mixing nozzles are typically constructed from injection molded components not easily separable.
Accordingly, a product dispenser with a sanitizable mixer assembly reduces the cost of the product package, and ensures a sanitary environment at the mixer assembly.